World’s Easiest Grilled Vegetables are the ultra-easy grilled vegetables I make over and over all summer long. Keep these veggies on hand and whenever you’re cooking on the grill you’ve got a perfect side dish that’s low-carb, Keto, low-glycemic, gluten-free, and dairy-free! Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one.

Grilling season has arrived, and I couldn’t be happier about it! A few years ago I shared this uber-simple recipe for World’s Easiest Grilled Vegetables, and this is the easy grilled vegetables side dish I make over and over all summer long. This recipe is such a favorite that I decided the photos could really use an update, especially since grilling season has barely started and I’ve already made this a couple of times.

I think the choice of dressing for these easy grilled vegetables is pretty important. If you’re a low-carb or South Beach dieter, you’ll want to be sure to choose a dressing with not more than 2 grams of sugar per serving. That won’t be hard to find, but be sure to use a dressing with oil as the first ingredient. I prefer dressing that’s more oily than creamy for this; I like Newman’s Own Original Recipe Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing for this, which is one reason it’s always in my fridge.

If you’re trying to eat plenty of vegetables I hope you’ll enjoy this easy recipe for grilled vegetables as much as I have! And check the actual recipe below for other vegetables combinations you can cook using this method.

I use a Grill Pan for Grill Vegetables:

I cook these easy grilled vegetables in a grilling pan with holes that sits on top of the grill grates. There are endless variations for vegetables you can cook in a pan like this, but most often I use this combination of zucchini, sweet onions, and red bell pepper. You want to cut the vegetables in same-size pieces, not quite 2 inches in size.

Marinating Adds Flavor for Grilled Vegetables:

Here’s the trick that takes grilled vegetables from okay to wow. Put the cut-up veggies into a small Zip-loc bag (or a plastic container with a snap-tight lid) and pour over just enough Italian salad dressing to coat the veggies, then let them marinate in the fridge for 4-6 hours (or longer) before you cook them. Be sure to drain the vegetables before you dump them into the grill pan or the oil in the dressing will flame up on the grill.

Time and Temperature for Veggies on the Grill:

Have your grill pre-heated to medium-high before you start to cook the vegetables, with the grill pan sitting on the grill grates. Then put veggies into the hot pan and spread them around so as many as possible are touching the surface of the pan. Start to cook the veggies with the lid closed on the grill. I give my veggies a stir about every 5 minutes, and cook them 15-20 minutes, depending on what type of vegetables I’m using.

I like it when these easy grilled vegetables get a little charred, but you might prefer yours a little less well-done. Season with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper and enjoy!

salt and fresh ground black pepper to season vegetables after grilling

Directions:

Cut ends off the zucchini, then cut in half lengthwise and cut into slices not quite 2 inches thick.

Peel onion, cut off ends, cut in half, then break apart into individual layers and cut each one into same-size pieces.

Cut red bell pepper in half, cut out seeds and stem, and cut into pieces the same size as the onion and zucchini.

Put the vegetables into Ziploc bag or plastic container with tight-fitting lid, choosing the smallest size you can to fit all the vegetables so they get well coated with the marinade.

Pour in enough dressing to coat the vegetables, about 1/2 cup. Add dried herbs if desired, then close the bag or container and marinate in the fridge for 4-6 hours (or all day is fine if you’re at work.)

When you’re ready to cook vegetables, put the grill pan on the grill grate and preheat grill (and pan) to medium-high heat. (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds at that heat.)

Drain vegetables into a colander placed in the sink and let dressing drain off while you preheat the grill. (This is very important to prevent flare-ups when you add the vegetables to the grill pan.)

When grill and pan are hot, pour in the vegetables and spread them around so as many as possible are touching the surface of the pan. Cook with grill lid closed, stirring the vegetables every 5 minutes or so to insure that they get lightly browned on all sides.

Cook about 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked but still slightly crisp and starting to char on the edges. (I don’t mind if mine get a bit charred, but keep an eye on them if you’d like them less browned.)

Serve hot, with salt and fresh ground pepper to season. (If you have some good balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of that is good on these too.)

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
These easy grilled vegetables vegetables are a wonderful side dish for the South Beach Diet or other low-carb eating plans. Look for a dressing not more than 2-3 grams of sugar per serving if you’re making this for South Beach or a low-carb diet. With approved salad dressing, this combination of grilled vegetables would also be Paleo.

Nutritional Information?
If you want nutritional information for a recipe, I recommend entering the recipe into this nutrition analyzer, which will calculate it for you. Or if you’re a member of Yummly, you can use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information there.

Grilled Vegetables are so tasty! I bought a vegetable grill pan a year ago and have not used it yet. I have decided to be the chief vegetable griller. Can't wait until my husband tastes these delicious recipies. Thanks, Kalyn.

Jeanette, I am not completely sure what you mean? But if you're wondering if you can cook eggplant this same way, the answer is yes. There are some other grilled eggplant recipes on the blog too; just enter "grilled eggplant" into the search bar. Let me know if that wasn't what you meant.

Kalyn, Thanks so much for your feedback and it's sorry to get you confused. Yes, I could find some other great recipes with "grilled eggplant" search. However, I am asking that, as I checked around and learnt that our bodies will be pain if we eat a lot of eggplant. Please correct me if I am wrong !

Jeanette, I've never heard of anything like that. I did a quick search in google and didn't find anything. In general I think a varied diet is healthiest, but I think you could eat eggplant several times a week before I would worry at all.

Hi Kayln,I like your work.We love grilled veg done in a bbq wok. We have two, a round one like yours (but not copper,) and a square SS one (very handy for gas grills, such as portables, with very low lids.) Customized dressings are easy to concoct in a plastic bag: oil; powdered garlic; something thick to help coatings stick (BBQ sauce, HP Worchestershire-type sauce, oyster sauce, thick teriyaki sauce, etc.); and a source of salt (fish sauce, soya sauce.) Many ways to go. Shake coarsely cut peppers, onions, broccoli, squash, or other firm veg in a bag with dressing. After these have been cooked for a while (3-4 stirs, 15 min or so) shake tomato wedges and mushrooms in the same bag and add to the wok, and cook for a few minutes more. The tomatoes add some juiciness.Serve warm on a bed of spinach, with or without some sort of tomato-based salad dressing. Yum!

Rod it sounds like you have done a lot of experimenting with grilled veggies! I wouldn't add a sweet sauce like barbecue sauce or teriyaki sauce (since I am trying to avoid extra carbs) but some of those other ideas sound great!

Hi Kalyn,I want to let you know the link to Newmans does not work since they have reworked their site. You can still view the dressing but you just have to go to the"home page" first and then follow your nose to the dressing. I am working on eliminating soy from my intake so have become an avid reader of labels. It may or may not contain soy and or canola. I have a pretty good homemade version of this using both extra version and light olive oils and champagne vinegar. I got it initially from an American Heart Association cookbook, which had the blend of herbs I use. I don't even measure. It has nutmeg and summer savory in addition to the usual suspects. We love it. My veggies are marinating in it right now but it's very stormy so I may wrap them in foil and pop in the oven.

This is how I've cooked veggies for years! I also love to season with oil and a packet of dry Good Seasons Italian in order to eliminate the chemicals often found in bottled dressings. And in the dead of winter, I'll just dump it them on a biscuit pan and roast in the oven for 30 min at 350 or so. Yum!

Maddy I haven't really noticed that it's taking longer in the basket. I would be careful not to fill it too full, and are you preheating the basket before you put the veggies in? That would speed it up a lot.

You can definitely cook this same assortment of vegetables on a baking sheet in the oven. They will be roasted instead of grilled and probably won't get quite as brown, but will still be delicious. I'd use high heat, maybe 400 or 425F.

We have two of these barbecue woks as well, Kalyn – like your copper coloured one but ours are black enamel. Like you, we love them and use them often.

Not long ago, we grilled very lightly olive-oiled asparagus spears and then drizzled them with ginger and garlic that had been caramelized in olive oil on the stove. (We could have put the ginger and garlic in with the asparagus but didn't want any of it to get lost dropping through the holes.)

Michele, we clean our barbecue wok by hand with a nylon bristle brush. I usually leave it to soak in warm soapy water to help loosen anything that has burned on. I scrub really tough burned on food with baking soda.

Michelle, do you spray it with non-stick spray before you use it? I use the kind that's made for high heat and it helps so things don't stick to the pan so much. I have washed mine in the dishwasher, but I don't have any tips other than that.

Any tricks for cleaning these grill pans? I've tried using the flat kind for fish or meat, and oiling them befor cooking, and they seem impossible to clean. I don't mind discoloration, just want them useable!

I can't remember where I came across your site, but I visit almost daily. I started on a modified south beach diet last year and have lost 60 lbs! I often visit to look for recipe Ideas. I love the grilled vegetables. Thanks to your recommendation… I have several new grilling pans and plan to cook out a lot this year (with veggies).

I am ashamed to admit that our grill has been used only 3 times this summer. It’s a charcoal grill, and I just never think ahead enough to get it pre-heated. The last time I grilled, the grill somehow went out, all of a sudden, and I can’t figure out what went wrong. The coals were hot, I put the lid on and opened the vents for circulation, and then all of a sudden it went cold. Had to finish the salmon in the oven.

On the upside, forget the meat, I think some of the best things to do on the grill are vegetables. One of our favorites is grilled hearts of palm, and also whole Japanese eggplants, grilled until black on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.

Some of tonight's comments:"When 'grilled veggies' are on a restaurant menu, THIS is how they're supposed to taste!""There's bell peppers and zucchini in this?! I wouldn't have been scared of them my whole life if they had been served to me like this before!"

There wasn't even the tiniest scrap of onion left! Thank you so much for sharing, Kalyn! I've just started learning how to grill and made this with your Cuban Flank Steak tonight. Definitely a hit!

Anything that says "World's Easiest" I'm game for, Kalyn, and roasted veggies are my favorite. Even hubby can't resist them when roasted. I'm definitely getting one of these grill pans. We can use it all the time, but it will come in handy when we go camping the most as that's where most of our grilling takes place. 😉 Oh, and I agree on using Italian dressing. It's also great for meat marinades. One can find one a ready-made on they like or mix up a few ingredients on their own to have the same effect. Really great post, Kalyn–thanks! 🙂

I also use Newman's Own dressing for marinating veggies (and chicken breasts) for the grill, though I'm partial to the light balsamic variety. Lately I've been trying to broaden my veggie grilling horizons, by grilling things I haven't done often before (broccoli, potatoes, eggplant), because everything seems to taste better on the grill.

I never thought about using Italian dressing! Lately I've been on a brussel sprout kick. They taste so delicious when grilled or roasted! I usually just use some non-stick spray on them and season it up a bit before grilling! I love them charred too…gives them a nuttiness! I will have to try the Italian dressing trick! Sounds yummy!

Thanks for the tip about the Italian dressing. We grill veggies all the time. Our favorite is grilled red bell peppers. When we serve them to guests, I'm amazed by the number of people who say they don't like red peppers but love them when they are grilled.

I have a grill basket and I LOVE it! It makes vegetables taste incredible. Sometimes I'll finish the dish with fresh herbs, chopped kalamata olves or a little feta cheese, but that's not necessary. The vegetables stand alone in flavor. Good warm or room temp. Fantastic as an antipasto.

Kalyn you are the BEST!!! You are so kind to share all your wonderful recipes and techniques! I use your recipes and suggestions so much that my kids ask me "Is this one of Kalyn's recipes". We never met you but you are a very important part of our family!! Thanks so, so much… :0)

Asparagus would also be great with any of the combos you list. Bermuda onions also work. And portabello (?) mushrooms are great. I use the leftover atop a luncheon salad the next day, or chopped smaller & put in a great South Beach omelet!